The Holiday
by MarillaT'Pel
Summary: AU of Star Trek that follows the storyline of The Holiday.  Pairings include K/S slash and Mc/U het.  I own nothing.
1. Chapter 1

This is my first multi-chapter fic. It's something I wanted to do for a while and I hope it goes over well. I realize most of the dialogue here will be paraphrased or even quoted from The Holiday, but I'll try to add a little originality to it. Yes, I know Christmas is over. This story contains slash, so this is your first and only warning. I don't own anything from Star Trek or The Holiday.

The Holiday: Star Trek Spin

Chapter 1

Riverside, Iowa

James T. Kirk (Jim to his friends) sat at his desk at the Riverside Tribune, the local newspaper. He had just finished wrapping up his Christmas gift for Gary Mitchell, his ex-boyfriend. Maybe that wasn't the right term for him. He really wasn't' sure what to call him. They had kind of an on/off relationship for a while. They'd been pretty casual about their relationship, but there was a big difference between their ideas of casual. While Jim could have one relationship one week and a new one the next, he never let them overlap. He never dated more than one person at once. Especially when sex was involved. It was the one thing about his sex life that his best friend never gave him any grief for. Gary did not feel the same way. Not even when they'd decided to get serious. They'd dated more solidly for a little over a year, and were at the stage where they were sharing drawer space, when Jim had walked into Gary's apartment and caught him in bed with Janice Rand, another newspaper employee. Janice, who Gary was now engaged to. He didn't really blame her. She worked in the circulation department with Gary, while Jim wrote an advice column. They'd kept their relationship pretty quiet for the sake of professionalism, so Janice likely didn't know that Gary was taken. She seemed too smart to do be into anything risky or inappropriate. Though, that hadn't stopped Jim from running to his doctor (the aforementioned best friend) for an exam. Now, he was just trying to get his feelings back in order after breaking up with the first person he'd ever really committed to and was now trying to keep a friendly working relationship with. Still, it was hard. Part of him was still a little in love with the guy whose inability to commit was worse than his own. He'd even considered asking him to move into his house with him. But, that was all in the past. Here and now was a sort of pre-Christmas party, and Jim couldn't help but watch Gary schmoozing the head of the paper. As Jim mused over his situation, he failed to notice someone coming up behind him, until a loud, cheery voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Hi Jimmy!" Jim nearly jumped out of his seat.

"Jeez, Gaila," he groaned, turning to face a beautiful green skinned woman who was grinning at him manically, "you trying to give me a heart attack! That'll give 'em something fun to write about it in the obit section!" Gaila just laughed. She was an Orion, not a common sight outside of a Starfleet facility. She was also the only one who could get away with calling him 'Jimmy.' She and Jim had gone out a few times, but decided not to continue. When he had informed her of Gary's cheating, she'd first offered to tear him a new one, then made it clear she was available for rebound/comfort sex. She was serious, too. And she became serious now when she saw where he'd been looking.

"Aw, Jimmy," she practically whined, "when a guy cheats on you, you're not supposed to pine after him. You're supposed to knock him down on his cheating ass and never think of him again."

"Believe me, I'd love to," Jim replied, "but we've gotta work together, and no one's gonna be happy if we can't be adults about it. It could get us both fired." While working in a newspaper hadn't been his lifelong dream, Jim was pretty content where he was. He'd always had a special place in his heart for the written word.

"You know if there was a choice between you and him, it would be you." She told him confidently. "You're the better writer and the better worker. He's only done as well as he has here because you help him with his projects and practically took care of him for the past year and a half, cooking and cleaning for him. And," she leaned forward a bit, "you're much, much better looking." Jim couldn't help but smile. Even though they weren't sleeping together anymore, a compliment from a hot Orion female was worth its weight in gold, and the best ego booster there was. And, he supposed, she did have a point. He had acted more like a housewife than a writer when he was with Gary. Right then, however, he realized that he had yet to finish his column and submit it. He left Gaila to the party and rushed into another cubicle away from the noise to better focus. As he was adding the finishing touches, the door opened, and Gary walked in, a casual grin on his face.

"Jim," he said, "I take it you heard the news, about the book I'm writing?"

"Yeah," replied Jim, "it's really great news."

"It is." Agreed Gary. "And, seeing as I can't proofread worth shit, I thought you could give me a hand. You know, check my grammar, and give me feedback, any ideas to make it better?" Jim shrugged. A lot of people came to him for that sort of thing. If he wanted to stay professional with Gary, he was going to have to treat him like everyone else. Even if it was to his benefit.

"Why not? I'll have plenty of time on break." Gary grinned.

"Thanks Jim, you're a lifesaver." That said, he turned and went back to the party. Jim turned back to the computer and resumed his work. He submitted his assignment and got his stuff together and headed out into the cold winter Iowa night. He knew he'd promised himself he'd act like nothing was any different, but after that encounter, all he wanted right then was to go home and get drunk until he passed out. As he made his way out to his bike, he wondered if anyone else had to deal with this kind of trouble so close to Christmas.

San Francisco, California

Nyota Uhura was fuming. She had just accidently opened up a message to her boyfriend, Sean Finnegan. The note was from his secretary, saying what a wonderful time she'd had with him last weekend. Nyota was a film editor, and Sean was a composer. They'd lived together for about ten months, but rarely saw each other due to their individual schedules. Sean had given up on pestering her to spend time with him about two months ago, and she'd wondered if that was a sign of acceptance, or if it meant that things would be over soon. When she'd first met Sean, she'd thought he was funny, exciting, and just what she needed. But the romance had faded into a kind of monotony. None of that mattered now though. What mattered was confronting her boyfriend and finding out if he slept with that secretary of his. He walked in the door, and she shoved the letter in his face.

"What the hell is this?" She raged at him. "Are you actually so obsessed with sex that you're screwing your secretary?" He stared at the letter for a moment, and then looked at her.

"What do you want me to say, Nyota?" He asked coldly. "We haven't had sex in six months. You're too busy for me." Nyota huffed in frustration.

"Answer the question Sean! Did you sleep with her?" Sean looked resigned.

"Yes, okay, I did." Nyota's lovely face twisted up in rage, and she began pushing him toward the front door.

"Get out!" Sean began to protest.

"Nyota! You're blowing this out of proportion. I have needs too, you know!" This only angered her further.

"I'll send you your stuff. It's over." She slammed the door, ignoring his muffled protests. She then did the only thing she could do in a stressful situation. She went back to work.

She got to the studio where two of her co-workers/subordinates were debating how to wrap up the trailer for some new spy movie. Pavel Chekov, who was some kind of Russian super genius, was once again insisting that some odd thing was invented in Russia. Hikaru Sulu an Asian-American, San Francisco native, was insisting it was not. They hushed up as soon as she came in, and she gave the trailer she was working on one last check, and they both praised her on it. Despite the fact that another success was right in front of her, she couldn't help but let her thoughts go back to Sean. What if he was right, and she was letting her job become her whole life? Making a decision, she turned to her two friends.

"Hey, we're ahead of schedule, why don't we call it a day and get started on Christmas break early?" Both of them looked out her as if she'd sprouted another head.

"You, take off work?" Asked Sulu, looking about to laugh.

"I'm serious," she told them, "I'm thinking about going away for the holiday."

A few hours later, she found herself on her computer, looking at hotels. She thought about Sulu and Chekov. It was obvious that those two would be spending their break together. She really hoped it would work out for them. Sulu was twenty-six, and Chekov was only seventeen. If it really worked for them though, the age difference wouldn't matter. She turned her focus back to the screen. She was having a little trouble finding what she was looking for. She didn't want some impersonal generic hotel room in a big tourist trap city. Then, she remembered something she'd heard about at work. A kind of bed and breakfast thing. She typed in her search. She glanced over the list of results and one in particular jumped out at her: Riverside, Iowa. She clicked on the link, and found herself looking at a charmingly old fashioned farm house nestled in snow. She decided to send a message.

Jim was moping around his house with a beer bottle in hand. His feelings warred between self-pity and self-loathing. Really, he was twenty-four years old. He shouldn't be acting like a broken hearted teenager. It was his own fault. He'd opened the door for somebody to walk all over him. Before Gary, he'd never given commitment, or anything beyond temporary infatuation, a second thought. As he was thinking this, his computer chimed, indicating that he had a new message. Sitting down in front of it, he opened the message.

_I saw your house on the home exchange site, and would like to make use of it. Is it available for the holiday?_ Jim frowned, and began typing a reply.

**I don't know what you're talking about. Home exchange?** The reply was almost immediate.

_Aren't you Winona Kirk?_ Jim relaxed a bit.

**Winona was my mother. She passed away two years ago. I had no idea she did this**. In San Francisco, Nyota's eyes widened.

_I'm sorry, I didn't know. I was just hoping to get away for Christmas._ Jim was intrigued.

**How does this home exchange work? I'm Jim, by the way. Jim Kirk. **Great, thought Nyota, a guy.

_I'm Uhura._

**Just Uhura? No last name?**

_Uhura is my last name._

**No first name, then?**

_I don't see why you need it._

**Does it sound weird or something? I promise not to laugh.**

_It's not weird. It's also not your business. Especially if you're making a pass at me._

**I just broke up with my boyfriend, and you're asking to come and stay in my house. So it really is my business.**

_You're gay?_

**Bi-sexual. And please focus on the issue at hand.**

_You make a good point._

**So?**

_It's Nyota._

**That's pretty. What language is it?**

_Swahili. It means star._

**That's cool! Anyway, it just so happens that I too am in need of a break from my everyday routine. This home exchange means we switch houses and stuff right?**

_Pretty much. I'm interested in the next two weeks._

**What is your place like?**

_It's alright. A little more modern than yours._

**Not hard to be. How do you feel about animals?**

_What kind?_

**Mostly just cats and dogs. It's a farming community here, and they tend to wander between their homes. It's probably for the best if you make sure your shots are up to date. The house is pretty nice. A little cluttered, but I keep it clean.**

_Same here. I bring a lot of my work home with me._

**What is it you do?**

_I'm a movie editor. You?_

**I write for the local paper. Is there anything else you need to know?**

_Are there any men in your town?_

**Zero.**

_When can I come?_

**Is tomorrow too soon?**

_That's perfect._

And just like that, they had a plan.

End Chapter One

Please review and let me know what you think. I'm already about halfway done with this fic right now, so all I need to do is type the last few and do a bunch of editing and stuff. I've gone over this chapter about seven times already. Tell me if I should continue or if I should give up and never think about it again. If you do like it, I'll be updating about every other day.


	2. Chapter 2

My first few reviewers seemed to enjoy the first chapter, so here's the second. I know I said every other day on the updates, but apparently good reviews are like crack to me, and when I saw how many people put this on their story alert in its first day of life, I couldn't help but get out the second chapter. This is the one where people start meeting each other. I also forgot to mention before that this is my first slash fic. I hope it meets with your approval!

Chapter 2

Nyota slept through most of her flight. She was able to rest in relative comfort in her first class transport. As she stepped onto the ground and looked around, her breath was stolen away, her first thought being that she had never seen snow in person. It was a relatively cloudy day, but the snow sparkled even in the dim light. She quickly hailed a cab and told the driver her destination. Upon her arrival, she took in the old farmhouse and barn. Both were easily a century old, but well kept. She got inside and looked around. It was as old fashioned inside as out. There were pictures and knick knacks adorning the walls and shelves. There was a modern food replicator and recycling unit, but also a sink and stove, both of which looked well used. As she looked around, she couldn't help but feel a little guilty for accusing Kirk of hitting on her. He was obviously a hard worker. She walked down the hall, and found herself in a library. There was a TV screen, and several book and movie chips, but what caught her eye was the number of old fashioned, hard back, paper books. Most of them were packed together, but a couple of gaps indicated that Kirk had probably taken some with him. Likewise with the book and vid chips. She heard a noise in the kitchen, and turned, startled. It was a large, tuxedo patterned cat. She had a collar with a tag that read 'Cookie' and the Kirk home address.

"Cookie?" She murmured to herself. It must have been his mom's cat, because what kind of man would name a cat cookie? She looked around some more, and saw a note, written on real paper and with surprisingly tidy handwriting, pinned to the refrigerator. Those were most likely the instructions he had left for her about the animals and the various household appliances.

_Dear Nyota,_

_ I forgot to mention that since the neighborhood pets tend to wander around, everybody leaves food out for them. It's best if you get it out there around 7 p.m. It's already out in the barn; you just need to get it out of the bin. The lights are on a remote control that's sitting on the coffee table in the living room. The animals are pretty friendly, but Cookie is the only one allowed in the house. I named her that because she looks like an Oreo, in case you were wondering. The instructions for the heating, bathroom, and other stuff are all in the binder on the table._

_Sincerely,_

_Jim Kirk_

Nyota chuckled slightly. The name was really cute now that it made sense. Well, she had a few hours to go until 7. For now, she was going to unpack her bags, explore the house, and maybe try some good old fashioned reading by the fire.

Jim's flight was hell. He'd always been a little reluctant to spend a lot of money, so he chose to fly coach. As he took his seat, he noticed various men and women looking at him with interest. He often drew stares and a couple of years ago, he might have been tempted to use that to his advantage, but right now he just wasn't in the mood for some cheap fling. He made his way outside and hailed a cab. He made it to Uhura's house and was completely in awe. She had the latest in everything. As he explored the house, he couldn't help but think it was too big for just one person. There weren't even any pets. He investigated the bathroom, and found that her shower only had the sonic application, no real water. On the other hand, her toilet had a handle that hung from the ceiling, something he knew of but had never seen. He entered what he could only assume was a home theater. One wall was covered by the biggest screen he had ever seen. The other wall was covered in shelves filled with vid chips. He decided to look through them later. After all, he was going to be here for two weeks.

Nyota was already bored. She simply didn't have the patience to read a real paper book. Cookie wasn't in a very affectionate mood and had run off somewhere to be alone. Nyota was berating herself for taking this trip. She was dozing off on the couch in front of the fireplace when all of a sudden, there was a pounding on the door.

"Jim! Jim, open up!" Nyota stumbled to her feet, confused. She stood still, uncertain of what to do. "Jim!" came the voice again, "If ya don't open this door in five seconds I'm gonna take a leak all over your front door!" Deciding that the guy must not be too dangerous if that's all he was threatening, she ran to the door, unlocked it, and yanked it open. Despite his threat, the man had his back to the door. Nyota had one split second to wonder if this was the boyfriend Jim had mentioned breaking up with. Her next thought as he turned to face her was hope that this was not the case. The man in front of her was extremely handsome, though disheveled and smelling like a bar. He opened his mouth to yell again, but stopped when he saw her. They stared at each other for a moment, and then he spoke.

"You're not Jim. That, or I should have left the bar a lot sooner." That snapped her out of her stupor.

"Uh no, I'm not Jim. He's in Los Angeles." He shook his head.

"That's impossible. Jim never goes anywhere."

"Well, I found his house on a home exchange site and we switched homes for the holiday." The man just looked dumbfounded for a moment, then said,

"Can I just come in real fast?"

"Sure." Replied Nyota, realizing that it was freezing out. She stood back to let him in. Once inside, he turned back to her.

"I'm Leonard. Leonard McCoy. I'm a friend of Jim's. Uh, do mind if I just use the bathroom real quick?"

"Sure." She said again. As soon as he shut the door, she hurried about straitening her rumpled sweats and sleep-mussed hair. She let her hands drop back to her sides as the door opened again. He looked at her curiously.

"And you are?"

"Nyota Uhura." She held out her hand to shake his and he took it. "You said you're a friend of Jim's?" He nodded absently.

"His doctor too." A doctor? This drunk, disheveled man was a doctor? "Jim is good enough to put me up for a night when I've had too much to drink at the place down the road. We usually go together and take turns as driver." Nyota nodded absently.

"You're not by any chance the ex he mentioned before?" Now that the shock had worn off, she was a little concerned about who she'd let into a house not her own. Leonard snorted, as if disgusted.

"You mean Gary? That no good son-of-a-bitch cheated on Jim. Jim's no saint, but he doesn't cheat." He swayed a bit. "Do you mind if I sit down somewhere? I feel like I might fall over." Nyota nodded, and he stumbled over to the couch where she'd been sleeping. She should probably offer to call him a cab or something. She didn't really feel comfortable with the idea of having a strange man with her in a strange house. Instead she said,

"Would you like something to drink? Water, coffee, wine maybe?" He smiled a bit.

"Jim keeps some good stuff. How do you feel about scotch?"

"That works."

An hour later, Nyota and Leonard were both pleasantly buzzed in front of the fire. Nyota was trying to properly explain her presence.

"I don't know what I was thinking. I guess I wasn't thinking. I'm usually a very cautious person, who plans things out very carefully. I never do anything on just a whim like I did when I came here." Leonard nodded.

"I kinda know where you're coming from. I wasn't expecting to end up here." Nyota continued on.

"I just had a break up. I thought it was something that would last, but it didn't. I need to stop looking for guys who spend half their time looking in the mirror. I need a real man." She stopped talking, and focused on the face in front of her. There was no doubt that Leonard McCoy was a handsome man. He was rather rugged looking at the moment. His skin had a good healthy tan, despite the time of year. His hair (though disheveled) was cut nicely, and his eyes held a spark of intelligence, despite his current inebriation. Give him a shower, a shave, and put him in a white coat, and he could pass off as one of those attractive soap opera doctors. And there was that accent, not really anything from around here. She'd always been able to tell if someone was from out of town by the way they spoke. Right now though, all she could think about was how sexy it was. She moved her eyes to his, and saw that he was studying her, too. Slowly, without even realizing it, they both moved toward each other. Their lips met in the middle, and just lingered for a second. They both withdrew and looked at each other again. Nyota spoke first. "I probably shouldn't have done that." Leonard chuckled a bit.

"Me too." They both leaned forward again. Everything from that point was a blur.

Jim had been doing everything he could think of at Nyota's house. Part of him was a little afraid to tamper with any settings on her entertainment system, so he'd gone for a swim instead. Riverside had a community pool, but he preferred to swim on his own. His land had a small lake on it, but it was currently frozen over. Now he was inside, dried off, and looking through the movies again. He was a little disappointed. None of them were older than ten years. He really loved antiques, of almost any form. He had known it would be warmer here, but he hadn't been prepared for how different it was. He was comfortable enough with the air settings in Nyota's house, so he was standing there barefoot, in grey sweatpants and a white tank top. As he was trying to make a selection, the comm unit on the wall began to beep. He ran over to it. There was a row of locations and lights the one labeled 'gate' was blinking. He pressed it and said, "Uh, hello?"

"Greetings." Came a cool voice from the other end. "I have come to retrieve a possession of Mr. Finnegan's."

"Uh," replied Jim, at a loss, "I think you better pull in, just let me open the gate." He fumbled around a bit, looking for the manual, which was conveniently located on the coffee table. He rushed through it to the gate and punched the code in, trying to shove his feet into his flip flops as he did so. This resulted in him stubbing his bare toes against the wall. "Shit!" He swore loudly. He realized with horror that the comm was still on. He finished punching in the gate code. "Come on in!" He said, hoping he didn't sound too flustered. "Sorry if you heard that!" He grabbed a jean jacket he'd brought along and hurried outside to meet the visitors. A sleek black aircar pulled up in the driveway. The driver's side door opened, and a man stepped out. A _Vulcan_ man. A rather handsome one too. He stepped toward Jim, giving him a not-so-subtle once over. It was clear he was wondering who this under dressed stranger was.

"I am here to speak with Nyota regarding the location of the personal computer of Sean Finnegan."

"Her ex?" Asked Jim.

"Indeed." Replied the Vulcan. "May I enquire as to her location?"

"Uh, she's in Iowa." Said Jim. "We met on a home exchange site and decided to switch houses. I'm staying here for the next two weeks. I'm Jim. Jim Kirk." The Vulcan nodded minutely, no doubt storing the information away for later use.

"I see. I am Spock."

"Are you a friend of this Finnegan guy?"

"An acquaintance. I too am a film composer."

"Ah." Jim nodded. He realized that there was very beautiful music coming from the car behind Spock that he did not recognize. "Did you compose this? It's beautiful."

"I did not." Spock replied. This is the work of a twentieth century artist known as Yanni."

"Oh." Said Jim, a little embarrassed for being presumptuous. Just then, the wind kicked up, and something blew right into Jim's eye. He immediately brought his hands up to his face. Spock looked at him inquisitively.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, something just flew in my eye." To his great surprise, Spock leaned forward to peer at him.

"I believe you have something caught in your eyelash. Would you perhaps allow me to remove it for you?" Jim looked at him, surprised. A Vulcan, offering to touch a total stranger, even just barely, was unheard of.

"Um, okay." Spock stepped closer to him, and Jim was made aware of the fact that the Vulcan was a good few inches taller than him, and very warm. He forced himself to focus on what the Vulcan was saying rather than the fingers coming very close to his eye.

"I was somewhat unprepared for the Santa Ana winds when I first relocated here."

"Santa Ana?" Asked Jim, confused.

"The winds." Explained Spock in what sounded suspiciously like a lecture voice. "They are the reason for the current temperature. Some people have superstitious beliefs concerning them, that they may bring good or bad fortune with them. In short, that anything can happen." He pulled back, a piece of fuzz stuck delicately between two fingers. The irritating sensation in Jim's eye vanished.

"Thanks." He said gratefully. Spock looked as though he was about to say something more, when the other door on the car opened. Out stepped a well dressed, petite, blue eyed blonde. She came to stand beside Spock.

"Are you ready?" She asked lightly. Spock turned back to Jim.

"This is Leila Kalomi." Jim saw the way she stood close to him and realized that this was his girlfriend. He turned toward her and smiled.

"Oh, hi."

"Hello." She replied smiling prettily. Jim turned his attention back to Spock.

"Sorry, but do you mind if I check with Nyota's assistants or something first? If they say it's cool, I can have the computer for you tomorrow."

"That is acceptable." Replied Spock with a nod. "I will return tomorrow evening." With that, he and Leila turned back to the car. He seemed to pause, then turned back briefly. Upon my arrival here as a student, I was advised by one of my instructors to 'not blow away'." Jim was unable to stop a chuckle from spilling forth.

"I'll do my best." With a nod, Spock got into the car. As the car pulled onto the street, Jim caught sight of another Vulcan, this one elderly, walking past the gate, leaning on a cane as he went. As if he felt Jim's eyes on him, he stopped briefly and looked at him. He stared at him expressionlessly for no more than a moment, and continued walking. The wind picked up again, and Jim just stood there a moment, letting it wash over him, and murmured, "Anything can happen."

End Chapter Two

Okay, so the main characters have met. As any fan of the original series can tell, I'm borrowing a few of their characters to fill in certain roles. And yes, I like Yanni. There's another important character to meet who you'll be seeing in the next chapter. Until then! If I get more good reviews, then might be tomorrow!


	3. Chapter 3

No bad reviews yet. For those of you who left me good reviews, enjoy your reward and have a Happy New Year!

Chapter 3

Nyota was currently trying to use was she suspected was a seriously out of date coffee maker. She'd woken up before her impromptu bed partner and gone downstairs to see what she could scrape together. As she attempted to make the coffee machine work, she berated herself for yet another irresponsible snap decision. She heard a noise behind her and turned. It was Leonard McCoy, fully dressed and a little more presentable than last night. Their eyes met, and they both just kind of froze. He was the first to break the silence.

"Did you sleep okay?"

"Yeah" she replied, rather hastily, "yeah, I was just going to make some coffee, but I think this thing is broken." Leonard walked over to take a look at it. He smiled a bit.

"I think I found the problem." He held up the end of the plug. Nyota felt her face flush.

"Yeah, I guess that would help." She took the end and plugged it into the wall. The coffee maker started working, if the noises coming from it were any indication. The aroma of freshly brewing coffee filled the kitchen. Again, Leonard was the first to speak.

"Look, I'm not usually so…_forward_ with people I just met."

"Neither am I." She replied. "Look, nothing against you or anything, but my life is kind of complicated right now. It's not really a good time for me to be getting involved with somebody."

"I know what you mean." Leonard hastened to reply. "I've got a few complications of my own." Suddenly, his phone rang from where it was sitting on the table. As someone used to taking a lot of calls, Nyota picked it up and looked without thinking. She handed it to him, embarrassed. "It's Joanna. Sorry, I didn't mean to look."

"Um, I really need to take this." He said, taking the phone, and stepping outside. She could only stand there and watch as a warm smile came over his face while he greeted somebody who was clearly very special to him. She shook her head scornfully. She had gotten drunk and impulsive and jumped right into bed with a guy who, if not married, was probably seeing somebody. She shook those thoughts away as he came back into the house. He looked a little nervous now.

"Uh, I hate to ask, but it seems someone did me the favor of having my car taken home, so could I possibly trouble you for a ride?"

"Sure." She told him. The sooner he was on his way, the sooner she could forget this happened.

The drive to the McCoy residence was silent except for Leonard's occasional directions. They finally reached his house. Instead of immediately opening the door and getting out, he turned to face her.

"Look, I don't know what you plan on doing for the rest of your stay, but if me and the rest of this hick state haven't scared you into running back to California, you should check out the town a bit. There's a pretty good bar not far from Riverside Shipyard." That said, he got out of the car and headed inside. Nyota looked at the shut door for a moment, and then began the drive back to the Kirk house.

Several hours later, Nyota still had no idea what to do with herself. She considered her options. She could pack her bags and go running home, she could spend her vacation holed up in the house with no one but Cookie for company, or she could get over everything that had happened last night and go socialize.

"What the hell." She muttered. She grabbed her coat and headed out. She found the bar with little difficulty. There didn't seem to be any specific age group. It ranged from kids who were barely legal to men and women in their forties. A few non-humans, too. Some of the patrons wore Starfleet uniforms. She opted to find a table of her own off to the side and just sit and observe for a while. As she sat there nursing a glass of the local brew, she saw Leonard McCoy come in. He headed to the bar and got himself a beer. He was greeted by a couple of people from across the room and headed over to talk to them. She took the opportunity to study him, completely at ease, chatting with friends with an easygoing smile on his face. All of a sudden, his eyes cut briefly to her, and he did a very small double take. Not sure what else to do, she smiled and waved at him. His smile broadened, and she was a little surprised to realize that he seemed genuinely glad to see her there. He said something to his friends. Nyota realized he was excusing himself, as he then headed over to her table.

"Can I join you?" There was that accent again. She just smiled and nodded, and he sat down next to her.

In L.A., Jim had decided to take a drive around the neighborhood to familiarize himself with it. As he drove along, he saw the same elderly Vulcan from yesterday. He was looking intently at two turns in the road, as if wondering which one to take. Jim realized he might be lost. He pulled over in front of the old man and got out of the car. He walked up to him.

"Excuse me." He said, trying to sound polite. "I'm new here, and I was just wondering if I could offer you a ride." The Vulcan lifted an eyebrow at him. Do you know my place of residence?" Jim nodded.

"I think so, yeah." The Vulcan nodded slightly.

"It is good to know that one of us does." Jim couldn't help but laugh a bit. Two funny Vulcan's in one place? What were the odds? He opened the passenger side door.

"I'm Jim, by the way. Jim Kirk." The Vulcan nodded.

"Indeed. I am Selek of Vulcan." Jim started the car again, before long, they were in front of Selek's house, which was right next door to the Uhura residence. Selek seemed to have a little trouble with his seatbelt, so Jim decided to intervene.

"Let me help you with that." He reached across the Vulcan without thinking and undid the seat belt, realizing too late that he may have just offended him. However, Selek just murmured a quiet thank you. Jim realized he was also having a little trouble grasping the inner door handle, so he quickly got out and pulled it open from the outside. He retrieved the cane from the back seat and handed it to him after he'd stepped out of the car. As they walked up the rather lengthy porch, Selek spoke again.

"Where is it you come from, Jim?" Jim was startled for a second before answering.

"I'm from Iowa, a little town called Riverside." Selek nodded.

"I traveled a great deal in my youth. I passed through Iowa several times."

"What is it you do?" Asked Jim.

"I was a film composer. I was partnered with a good friend of mine, who was a writer. I took up writing after his death." He paused and gave Jim an unreadable look. "His name was also Jim." Jim was a little surprised by that. But it passed pretty quickly. Jim was hardly an uncommon name. They reached the door, and Selek began fumbling with the key. Jim held his hand out.

"Can I help you with that?" Selek did a strange thing, where he seemed to smile only with his eyes.

"That would be most appreciated." He handed Jim the key, and he opened the door. They entered the house, and Jim looked around. He was astounded by all the writing awards he saw there on the walls. There were Vulcan decorations, as well as some human ones, but altogether it was rather Spartan. It was clear that only one person lived here, and there was really no evidence that there had ever been anyone special in the Vulcan's life. It was kind of sad. On a sudden impulse, Jim said,

"Look, I don't know anybody here. Would you maybe wanna get something to eat? If you're not too busy." Selek did that whole not-smiling thing again.

"I have not been 'busy' since before you were born."

Not half an hour later, Jim found himself sitting across from Selek in a very tasteful little vegetarian place. He'd allowed Selek to order for him without thinking to warn him of his many allergies. Surprisingly though, he'd ordered a dish that Jim was enjoying and not getting sick off of. As he ate he listened to Selek describe Los Angeles as it had been when he'd arrived. A sudden change of topic caught him off guard.

"Jim," said Selek, "it is my hope that you will not find this offensive, but I am curious about something." Jim grinned apologetically.

"Is it why I'm bothering you so much after we've just met?" Selek shook his head.

"I am wondering why a young man like you wishes to spend a vacation listening to an old man. And why you have traveled so far from home to a place where you have no friends or family." Jim shook his head a bit.

"Vulcan's really don't beat around the bush, do they?" Selek just eye-smiled again and said nothing. Jim sighed. "If you really want to know, I really just needed to get away from some stuff." He sighed again. "No that's not really true. I wanted to get away from someone. An ex-boyfriend who's getting married and I can't really avoid it there, because we both work at the same newspaper." Jim fell silent, cringing internally at how helpless he sounded to himself. Selek studied him for a moment before speaking.

"Vulcan's put great value on direct and honorable behavior. It is clear from your speech that this man possesses nothing of the sort. It seems that the only way for you to accept this change in your life is to accept what is and find someone who appreciates such a kind and charismatic individual such as yourself." Jim just stared at him, dumbstruck for a moment. He forced himself to swallow the lump building in his throat.

"I-thank you for that." He said quietly. "I've never had anyone put it to me quite like that. My closest friends have really tried to help me, but the best they can really suggest is to just get over it and go on the rebound or get drunk off my ass. And one of those friends is a doctor." Selek's eyes seemed to light up a bit at that. "No one's been truly direct with me. So thank you." He smiled slightly. "It's weird, it's almost like you knew exactly what I needed to hear.* Selek just continued to not-smile at him.

End Chapter 3

*Just a little joke about 'Selek's' intuition where Jim is concerned.

Sorry about the shortness of this chapter, I'm kind of trying to leave it off in good spots. No cliffhangers, at least not yet. There's one more significant character that you the readers need to meet, and I will be getting around to it soon. This is pretty much going to be the pattern in these chapters: Uhura's story, and then Kirk's story, at least for now. I'll try to pay equal attention to both of them. Later!


	4. Chapter 4

I would like to begin my new year by dedicating this chapter to the memory of my younger brother, who six years ago this month, decided to end his pain himself.

Chapter 4

Nyota slowly dragged herself back into consciousness. Her head was pounding. She heard a low groan next to her. She forced herself to turn her head. In bed next to her once again was Doctor Leonard McCoy. She dragged herself out of bed and realized she was in her underwear, and so was he. She dragged on a robe and stumbled downstairs. She made it to the kitchen table and practically collapsed into a chair. She let her head rest against the cool surface of the table and breathed deeply.

"You're probably feeling like shit right now." She jerked her head back up, fighting the swooning feeling it gave her. Leonard stood in the doorway, also in a robe with a sympathetic smile on his face. She just groaned and let her head flop back down. "Here," he said, suddenly a lot closer, "I've got just the thing." She looked up and saw a hypo in his hand. Desperate for some relief, she just nodded wordlessly. She felt his hands gently pulling back her hair and pressing the hypo against her neck. Almost immediately, the pounding in her head receded and her stomach settled. She raised her eyes to his gratefully.

"Thanks." She whispered. She took in his state. "Don't you need one of those?" He shook his head.

"I didn't drink that much last night." She snorted. The she froze.

"Hold on," she whispered, "did we-?"

"No." He assured her. She slumped down even further in the chair.

"Thank God!" Then, realizing how she sounded, she hastily tried to explain. "I just mean, I can't remember anything from last night, and I'd hate to think that I was so out of it…" she trailed off helplessly. Leonard laughed.

"It's okay, I know what you mean." Nyota looked at him questioningly.

"Why did you stay?" He smiled, softer this time.

"Because you asked me to." She felt a strange warmth inside, and then a wave of cold as something occurred to her.

"I didn't beg, did I?" He shifted a bit, and she could tell he was amused.

"Maybe just a little." She flushed. He shifted again, and this time seemed just a little nervous. "Look, if you're feeling up to it, it's almost noon and I know of a nice steakhouse in town. She thought about it for a moment, and then nodded.

"Sure, why not?"

Later on, they sat at a table, chatting avidly. Leonard was telling Nyota about how he met Jim Kirk.

"It was three years ago. I had just moved to Riverside, Iowa from Atlanta, Georgia and was starting a job at the hospital in a week. It was in the shipyard bar. I was already drunk when Jim came in. He sat down at the bar right next to me. I was already drunk, really I should have been cut off long before that, and I said to him, 'I might throw up on you'. And then I did." Nyota couldn't help but laugh at this. "Instead of punching my lights out or letting the bouncer drag me away, he took me back to his place to sleep it off. I asked him why he'd do such a thing for a stranger. He told me he had a good feeling about me. That the things I'd said when I was drunk convinced him I was harmless." He shook his head. "We've been friends ever since. Jim's actually a pretty good judge of character, barring a few instances." She knew he was talking about the ex-boyfriend. "It didn't bother you having a bi-sexual guy drag you home like that?" He grinned.

"No, Jim wouldn't hit on someone that out of it. Besides, I got hit on by enough guys in college to get over any insecurity." Nyota laughed again. "He can be pretty adventurous. He used to date an Orion, though they're just friends now."

"I actually used to date a Vulcan, right before I met my ex." She told him. His eyes widened in disbelief.

"A Vulcan? A member of a race with no emotions?" She shook her head at him.

"That's a disturbingly common misconception. They have emotions, they just repress them all their lives. Actually, he's a human/Vulcan hybrid. He's a good guy, just not the right one for me." She shook her head ruefully. "We're still friends, and I'm happy for that." Leonard nodded.

"Tell me a bit more about yourself." Nyota acquiesced.

"I was born in Kenya.* My family came to San Francisco when I was about two years old. I started watching all kinds of educational vids to learn English. Even back then I was very critical. I would tell my parents about all the ideas I had to improve Muzzy." Now it was Leonard's turn to laugh. "I was close with both of my parents, but my dad and I had a really special bond. We would call ourselves the dynamic duo, and we would put on plays that I produced. But eventually, things really seemed to fall apart for Mom and Dad. In the end, he left. He told me he wasn't leaving me, just my mom, but eventually all the calls and the letters stopped coming. I never saw him again. My mom passed away when I was twenty-one." She paused, wondering how a good conversation had taken such a depressing turn. "Ever since then, I guess I've just been suspicious of anyone who wanted to get close to me. Really the only men in my life are my two assistants who are completely blind to the fact that they're in love with each other. Them and Spock of course." At Leonard's questioning glance, she clarified. "The Vulcan I dated." He leaned back in his seat.

"That's quite a story." He remarked quietly. She shook her head.

"I'm sorry I dumped all this on you. I really don't talk about it, ever."

"Sometimes talking is the best thing you can do." Leonard told her.

"Really, so what's the worst thing you can think of to tell anyone?" He looked at her closely.

"You really want to know?" She nodded. "My father, about six years ago, became terminally ill. There was no cure and the only thing keeping him alive was a machine. He begged me to end his pain, so I did." Nyota was shocked. "That," he said, "is my deepest, darkest secret. I only ever told Jim once when I was drunk. Something like that could end my career, since I didn't take any legal action beforehand. I'm pretty sure my mother knows, but she also knows why I did it."

"Wow." Said Nyota, softly. "I guess we're both pretty wrecked in our own ways." Leonard nodded solemnly.

"We sure are."

Back at the Kirk house, Leonard was dropping off Nyota. He'd arranged to have Jim's car returned to the house the night before. Before getting out, she turned to him.

"Thanks for listening. And for sharing." He looked at her seriously.

"It wasn't a problem." On an impulse, she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. Then she got out of the car and headed inside. She knew he was watching as she went.

Jim heard the ring of the doorbell and headed to answer. It was Spock, the Vulcan from before the day before, there for the piece of equipment that Sean Finnegan had left behind. He took in Jim's state of dress and asked,

"Have I come an inconvenient time?"

"No, not at all." Jim replied. "I met the guy living next door this morning, and since I don't' know anyone here he offered to introduce me to some of his friends. It kind of turned into a holiday party."

"I see." Said Spock. "The gate was already open, and this was sitting there." It was a package, for Jim, from Iowa.

"Oh." He said, taking it from Spock. "This is from a guy I work with. He's writing a book and I sometimes give him notes…" he trailed off as he saw a card with Gary's name on it, and nothing else. Spock seemed to sense something was wrong with him.

"Is anything the matter?" He asked. Jim snapped out of it and looked at him.

"No, no nothing's wrong." He set the package down on the table. "Hey, do you want to stay for dinner? We're just getting started. We have a couple of Vulcan dishes." Spock considered the offer.

"I suppose I could stay for a short time."

About two hours later, the kitchen was filled with the sound of laughter. Even the two Vulcan's present seemed to be having a good time. Jim was seated between Selek and Spock. Also at the table were Admiral Christopher Pike, Admiral Jonathan Archer, and Mr. Montgomery Scott, a prop master. Scotty (as he liked to be called) was recounting the tale of how he had inadvertently lost Archer's pet beagle one day on a movie set. The two retired Admirals were now big funders in film projects. They would jump in every now and then to try and sabotage Scotty's attempts at lessening the blame on himself. Jim learned that Pike had known his parents at Starfleet Academy, and had done his dissertation on the Kelvin Incident. The subject turned to Spock, who had been content mostly to listen. First, they just talked about his career as a budding film composer, but the topics soon changed. They learned that he was actually a hybrid, who had come to earth to learn more about humanity and had become fascinated with Earth music and was experimenting with blending it and Vulcan music. Then, the topic turned a little more personal.

"Spock," barked Archer, "you're a young guy in the movie business; you must have to fight women off with a stick!" Spock shook his head minutely.

"I do not engage in relationships on a whim. I am, however, in a relationship with an actress. We have been seeing each other for six months." Jim spoke up.

"She's an actress! What's she been in?"

"She has not accumulated many roles yet." Replied Spock.

"And where is she now?" Asked Pike. "You're here, what's she doing?"

"She is filming on location in New Mexico." He said. "She is due to return in ten days." Neither Jim nor Spock noticed Selek glancing between the two of them. He began pushing back his chair.

"I believe we have taken enough of these young men's time." He said. "It is time for us to return to our nurses." The Admirals laughed while Mr. Scott protested that he was not old enough to need a nurse. After they departed, Spock gathered up Finnegan's personal computer and a bowl of Vulcan stew that Jim had prepared under Selek's instruction.

"This was a surprisingly productive evening." He said as Jim walked him to the door. "I do not often attend social functions, formal or otherwise. I did not expect to find such enjoyable company tonight, or to gain the attention of two significant funders in the film industry." They paused in front of the door. "You are surprisingly efficient in making preparing Vulcan dishes." Jim shrugged.

"I had a lot of help from Selek. Plus I do a lot of cooking at home." Spock nodded, and Jim opened the door for him.

"Then I shall say goodnight and thank you for a pleasant evening." As he walked to his car, a gust of wind kicked up, and Jim couldn't resist.

"Don't blow away!" Spock turned around and looked at him, clearly surprised. Then he did that same thing that Selek did, and smiled with his eyes. His mouth even seemed to twitch a bit at the corners.

"I shall endeavor to follow your advice." With that, he got in the car and began to pull out of the driveway. Jim watched him go with a small smile. He'd expected to spend his vacation lazing about the big house. Instead, he was becoming friends with witty, intelligent people. He sighed and shut the door. It really had been a good night.

End Chapter 4

As you can tell now, this follows the Star Trek storyline up to the point where the younger generation should be in Starfleet. It also follows The Holiday storyline to the extent that it will be told from only the _main_ main character's point of view. Meaning Iris (Jim) and Amanda (Nyota).

I wanted to portray Nyota and McCoy as two people who didn't realize how much their emotional baggage was affecting them. Emotional pain is just as serious as physical pain, as I've learned all too personally. I wish you all a Happy New Year.


	5. Chapter 5

I'll be mixing things up a bit in this chapter, and possibly in future ones as well. I know I said each chapter would be Uhura's POV, and then Kirk's, but this is just kind of how it happened for me this time. I know I've screwed up the order of events that happened in the Holiday, but part of that is due to the time difference. I looked it up, and there's like a two hour time difference between Iowa and California, so scenes in the movie where it's day in L.A. and night in Surrey have to be adjusted a bit. Any other mess-ups can be attributed to the fact that I haven't seen The Holiday in a while. Thanks so much to everyone who's been giving me reviews and adding this story to their alert list. Enjoy!

Chapter 5

The next morning, Jim headed over to Selek's house, grabbing his mail as he went. He knocked on the door and was buzzed in.

"Good morning!" He said, cheerfully. Selek nodded in greeting.

"Good morning, Jim." Jim handed him his mail, and he began sorting through it. There was one letter that he immediately dropped in the trash after a glance. Jim was curious. He lifted it out of the can and looked at Selek.

"May I?" At Selek's nod, he opened the envelope. "An evening with Selek…" following that was a series of letters and symbols that Jim could never hope to pronounce, "this sounds like a big deal." Selek shook his head slightly.

"It is supposed to be a night to honor my accomplishments as writer. It will no doubt be a meaningless affair attended by a few film students interested in having something to include in a report." Jim shook his head in disbelief.

"This sounds like it might be really cool. You'll get all dressed up and make a speech. I'll even go with you, as like, your date." Selek eye-smiled again.

"I would no doubt be the envy of all in attendance." Jim for all his effort could not stop his blush. Selek continued on. "However, I have no desire to attempt to totter up on stage in front of an audience." Jim considered this.

"What if I helped you get back into shape?" Selek cocked his head.

"And how would you propose to do that." Jim smiled.

"How do you feel about water?"

They spent a good portion of the afternoon walking laps in the pool.

Later that night in Iowa, Nyota was trying to relax herself with an old fashioned hot water shower. However, her thoughts kept turning back to Leonard. She kept remembering what a good listener he'd been, and how open he'd been with her. She knew she'd only planned on one night with him, but she really wanted some company. Getting herself ready, she gathered a few supplies for a nice evening and set off.

She arrived at his house and rang the door. Leonard opened it and seemed to freeze up when he saw her. She started talking, regardless.

"I know this might be kind of awkward, and we said that it would to not really get involved with each other, but I thought if you're not doing anything and I'm not doing anything, maybe-" she cut off abruptly when she heard a noise inside. Now it was her turn to freeze up. "You're not alone, are you?"

"No, I'm not." He said, shaking his head. She immediately began to babble, trying to cover up the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Oh, oh that's fine, you know I really shouldn't have just assumed, I won't bother-" her rambling was interrupted by the appearance of a brown eyed, brown haired little girl, about five years old.

"Who is this, Daddy?" Nyota looked up, shocked.

"Daddy?" Leonard looked a little pained.

"Yup, that's me." He picked up the little girl with a practiced motion. "Sweetie, this is my friend, Nyota. Nyota, this is my daughter, Joanna."

"Oh." That was all she could say. Then it sank in. "_Oh_. Joanna."

"Do you wanna come in?" Asked the little girl. Nyota started trying to formulate an excuse for leaving, when the little girl put on the best puppy-dog face she'd ever seen. "_Please_?" Nyota looked to Leonard for guidance, but he seemed just as helpless as she was feeling.

"Um, okay then." Leonard seemed to snap out of his trance and stood aside to let her in. Joanna led the way into what looked like a living room, decorated by lots of garland and a Christmas tree. Nyota looked around, trying to find evidence of a wife or girlfriend. Leonard followed them in and said,

"Can I take your coat?"

"Oh, yes, thank you." She maneuvered them so that she was between him and Joanna, facing him. "Are you _married_?" She hissed urgently. That would really be just her luck.

"No." He replied quietly. With that, she turned around, opening her coat and letting him remove it for her. Joanna took notice of the bag she'd set down.

"Is that for us?" She asked excitedly.

"Uh, yes, yes it is. Except for the wine, sorry about that." Nyota replied, flustered. Her attempt at a romantic evening was taking quite an unexpected turn. Then Leonard spoke.

"Nyota, would you care to join us for some hot chocolate?" Looking at his nervous face, and Joanna's excited one, she was powerless to refuse.

"I'd love to." Soon, they were all at the kitchen table. Joanna then began begging for something Nyota didn't quite understand.  
"Daddy, do Sam, do Sam!" Leonard chuckled and shook his head.

"I don't think our guest wants to see Yosemite Sam." Nyota was curious.

"What's that?" Leonard looked at her, apologetically.

"It's a really old cartoon character that Jim taught her about."

"C'mon Daddy, you have to show her!" Whined Joanna. He sighed.

"Alright." He cleared his throat loudly, then formed his fingers in the shape of firearm and scrunched up his face. "Alright, you varmint!" His said loudly, putting on a western accent. "Now say your prayers!" Nyota nearly fell out of her chair as she laughed with Joanna. Leonard had to clear his throat again. Joanna turned to her.

"Do you wanna see my fort?" Nyota, still shaking from laughter, just nodded. Joanna led the way once more as they headed up to her bedroom. What she saw there was like a nest of pillows covered by a tent-like structure. One by one, they crawled inside and lay down. Nyota was impressed.

"This is the coolest fort ever. Who put this together?"

"We did." Said Joanna, giggling. "The Dynamic Duo!" Nyota felt something strange at that moment. She couldn't tell if it was something good, or something bad. She felt Leonard's hand move next to hers, as if testing the waters. She let them touch, but didn't go any further. Joanna turned back to chatting with her. She seemed to want to know a lot about makeup and perfume. After about half an hour, it was time for her to go to bed. Nyota waited in the hallway while Leonard tucked her in. When he was done, he came out, looking quite serious.

"Can we talk in the den?" Nyota followed him, wondering what could come next. As soon as the door was shut, she turned to him.

"You're divorced?" She questioned. He nodded.

"I was, three years ago." When he'd moved to Riverside, she realized. "Me and my ex, Jocelyn, got married way too soon, before we even really knew each other. I think sometimes she just wanted to get married to rebel, cause her parents hated me from the start. We might have called it quits sooner if we weren't expecting Jo. We tried to make it work for two years. But we were fighting all the time. One day I came home early and found in bed with one of my interns. After listening to her excuses about how it was really my fault, I just couldn't take it anymore. I told her I was done and wanted a divorce. She was mad. She told me that no one dumped her. Her family was real rich, you know? Thought they could get away with anything. I thought she was different. I found out how wrong I was when she took full custody of our daughter and got her father, a judge, to push the hospital board into letting me go." Nyota was shocked. She couldn't believe someone could be so cruel.

"But wait," she said, "why is she here with you now?" He lowered his eyes.

"Jocelyn was killed in a car crash ten months ago. She was going twenty miles over the limit, in a convertible! I always told her those things weren't safe." He stopped and took a deep breath. "After that, family court reexamined my fitness as a parent. They had no problem with me without Jocelyn's father breathing down they're necks. I think he was too broken up about his daughter dying to keep hating me. He and her mom actually begged me to move back to Georgia so they could stay close to Jo. But I had a career here, so I brought Jo to my new home instead. My mother used to travel a lot on business. She comes out here once in a while and brings Jo to Georgia with her. Also, she talks to all of her grandparents over the comm every weekend. My mother just brought her back this morning." Nyota just stood there, processing everything she'd just heard. Then she sighed.

"We just went way past complicated, didn't we?" Leonard didn't say anything. He didn't have to.

So this chapter was more Uhura than anything. I had a couple reviews that were really interested in her side of the story, and what McCoy's custody arrangement would be. As for the Yosemite Sam bit, I couldn't think of an original character and I didn't want it to be the exact same as The Holiday. I figure McCoy can tweak the accent enough to sound like a cowboy. The next chapter will probably be dominated by Kirk's side of the story.


	6. Chapter 6

Just a heads-up, this chapter takes place two days after the last one. I know I promised that this would be more about Jim, but I'm exhausted and I think this could just be a funny filler chapter. Because I am very tired as I write this, it's going to be mostly dialogue and have very little description of facial expressions and whatnot, though there will be some. To help you tell who's saying what, **Bold** is McCoy talking, _Italics_is Uhura, and Underline is Spock. Jim is just regular speech.

Chapter 6

Jim ran to where he heard the comm beeping. He picked up the handset.

"Hello?"

"**Jim!"**

"Bones! How've you been?"

"**Pretty good, you?"**

"Uh, well, I met someone."

"**Really?"** Bones sounded intrigued. **"Who?"**

"Well, he's really nice, and cute. I feel great when I'm with him, so that's a nice change. Also, he's over a hundred years old."

"**What!"**

"He's Nyota's next door neighbor. He's a Vulcan, and actually pretty cool. By the way, you should go over to my place and meet her. I bet you'd like her."

"**We did meet actually."**

"Oh, really?" Just then, there was another beep. "Hang on a second, there's another call coming." He switched over. "Hello?"

"_Hi, Jim."_

"Nyota! Bones was just telling me you two met."

"_Bones?"_

"My doctor friend."

"_You mean Leonard? You talked to him?"_

"He's on the other line. Do mind waiting a minute?"  
_"No, not at all."_

"Hey, Bones, I'm back. That was Nyota on the other line."

"**How was she? Is she doing okay?"** Okay, that was odd.

"I don't know, I didn't ask."

"**Well then ask her!"**

"Okay! Hang on." He switched over again. "Hey, Nyota, Bones just asked me to find out how you are."

"_Tell him I'm fine. I'm just at the house playing with Cookie. What's he doing?"_ Okay, definitely odd.

"I don't know. Do you want me to ask him?"

"_Sure."_

"Okay, just a minute." He pressed another button. "I can't believe you hooked up with the woman staying in my house!"

"_He told you!"_ Jim almost dropped the hand set at the sound of Nyota's panicked voice.

"Shit! I thought it was him! I'm sorry!" He pressed another button, and launched right back into his tirade. "I can't believe you slept with Nyota! She asked me if there were any men in town and I said no! And then she runs into you, the guy who could lecture a dog about his its sex life, and you jump right into bed with her! At least tell me you did it in the guest room and I don't have to burn my sheets."

"_It's still me."_ Jim jerked the set down and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Crap!" He brought it back up to his ear. "I think I lost him. Look, can I call you back?"

"_Sure."_

"Again, I'm really sorry. Bye." He hung up. Just as he'd put the set down, it beeped again. He snatched it up. "What!" He snapped.

"Have I contacted you at an inconvenient time?" Jim relaxed.

"Spock! No, everything's fine."

"I am not working currently, and thought to inquire as to your plans for the evening."

"Uh, no plans really. I was just gonna go down to the vid store and pick up a couple of films Selek recommended."

"Would you be amenable to company at this time?" Jim paused, surprised. Then he shook it off.

"Sure, that'd actually be great."

Yeah, so this is just the bit where a bunch of the characters are all mixed up a bit. It's one of my favorite parts in the movie, partly because it's so funny, and partly because it reminds the viewers of the fact that everyone is known to each other and not in two separate worlds, you know? Next comes what I promised in the last chapter.


	7. Chapter 7

Okay, so this chapter is going to be all Jim's part of the story to make up for letting Uhura's side take over before. Angst alert! Enjoy!

Chapter 7

Jim was already at the video store when Spock arrived, checking out some of the vids. He was carrying two cups. One was tea, and the other appeared to be some kind of iced coffee drink with whipped cream on top, which he promptly presented to Jim.

"This is an eiskaffee, a cold coffee drink." He said as an explaination. Seeing Jim's confusion, he added, "I am told that humans consider gift giving an important part of a friendship. As you are accustomed to a significantly cooler temperature this time of year, I thought you might prefer this." Jim could only smile warmly and take the drink from Spock with a 'thank you'. Spock seemed to look him over a bit, his eyes sticking to his face. "I was not aware that any humans still used visual corrective devices." Jim was confused for a moment, then his eyes widened in realization behind the lenses.

"You mean my glasses?" He reached up and touched them self-consciously. "I really don't need them much, but my eyes get a little strained sometimes after staring at a computer all day, and it gets a little hard to read small print. I know they look ridiculous." He started to remove them. Spock stopped him.

"I assure you they do not. You do not use Retinax, like most humans?" Jim grinned and shook his head.

"I'm allergic to it." Spock nodded and left it at that. He seemed to take in the rest of Jim's appearance

"You are looking well."

"Yeah," said Jim, "I've been working out with Selek, to help get him in shape for his big night."

"I see." Replied Spock, looking a little surprised.  
"What?" Asked Jim, wanting to know what put that look in his face.

"I apologize, but the idea of you and Mr. Selek 'working out' as you termed it is…strange." Jim grinned at that.

"It's true, it's not much of a workout, but at least the conversation is good." They then turned their attention to the rows of vid chips before them. Spock began telling him about the various musical scores for them while simultaneously commenting on how illogical the film plots were. There were even a few that Spock insisted that Jim rent and listen to. Jim couldn't remember the last time he had so much fun chatting with someone who wasn't Bones or Gaila. As they entered another row, however, Jim felt Spock freeze up next to him. Before Jim could ask what was wrong, Spock was on his way out the door. Then Jim saw what he had seen through the large store window: Leila Kalomi, with some other guy. He saw, rather than heard Spock calling to her, her turning around in alarm, and then frantically trying to explain herself as Spock just stood there, the blank expression on his face looking like it had been set in stone. Jim actually felt his heart breaking on the Vulcan's behalf.

Later on, they were back at the house. Jim had left the vid chips on some random shelf, come out, and touched Spock lightly on the arm. This seemed to snap him out of his stupor as his listened to Leila babble and he simply left with Jim, right then and there. They'd gotten back into their own cars, and Spock followed Jim back. He now sat on the couch while Jim prepared some drinks that he'd found in the cupboard. As Jim was preparing them, he spoke aloud.

"It would seem I have an uncanny consistency in entering relationships that are doomed to fail." Jim approached, two mugs in hand.

"You didn't know it was doomed to fail." Spock looked up at him, balefully.

"There was no logical reason for it not to eventually end." He looked at the mug of tea being offered and said, "I find I am perhaps in the mood for something stronger."* Jim sighed and handed him the other mug, which held hot chocolate. Spock took it from him and took a long swallow. "I cannot justify why I allowed the relationship to continue as long as I did when I knew it would eventually have to end." Jim sat down on the couch next to him.

"I happen to have the answer to that one." He said. "It's because you don't want to believe it won't last, so anytime she does something that proves it's not working out you ignore it, and on the rare occasion that she actually comes through and surprises you it just reinforces that denial." Spock was now looking at him with open surprise.

"Yes." He said. "I suppose part of it was also an obligation that I felt. I only sought out a relationship with her in the first place because she expressed interest and because I was curious about exploring more of human courtship. I thought perhaps human relationships might be more appropriate for me, given my genetics." He fell silent. Jim, uncomfortable with the silence, stood up and looked down at him.

"Why don't I fix us something to eat? I've still got that stew recipe." Spock sat up a little straighter.

"That will not be necessary. It is unbecoming of me as a Vulcan to burden you with my problems." Jim sighed, and sat down next to him again.

"Haven't you ever heard that misery loves company?" Spock looked at him, confused, so Jim continued on. "I know when someone tells you their problems you're really not supposed to say you know how they feel, but I do know how you feel." He reached up and took off his glasses and rubbed at his eyes, set them on the table, then took a deep breath and continued. "I was dating a guy, back in Iowa, who works at the same newspaper as me. All in all, we were together for about two years, and it got pretty serious for me." Spock's eyes widened a bit. "It was the first serious relationship of my life. But then I found out that he was seeing this girl who also works there, Janice. He's engaged to her now. The truth is he didn't love me. He kept me around because it convenient for him, because I thought I loved him enough to let him treat me like a servant and a doormat. And I was so wrapped up in what I thought I felt for him that I couldn't see how wrong it all was." Jim slumped back further into the couch. "So trust me when I say I know what it's like to feel like the most pathetic and deluded person that ever lived. I know what it's like to have all but the last layer of your self-worth stripped away, before you finally see the light, and how it can hurt you it ways you didn't think were possible. Deep down, you may even feel like you deserve it for living so fast and loose before. And no amount of alcohol, or overtime, or even petty venting to your friends can change it. Because deep down, part of you is still convinced that you had a good thing, hoping that he'll change his mind and take you back, even though you didn't do anything wrong." Jim paused here, and smiled slightly. "But, then maybe an opportunity comes up to get away, so you go, thinking you might be able to escape all those bad feelings. And instead, you find people who somehow know just what to do to help you actually recover instead of just burying it alive. Maybe even enough to help you not feel so upset over all the time you wasted on something that wasn't meant to be. Either way, life has to go on." Now, it was Jim's turn to fall silent. Spock stared at him for a good minute before saying,

"I believe the expression is 'you need this more than I do.'" He handed Jim the hot chocolate. Jim smiled a little and took it, knowing that Spock was trying to be comforting. Spock seemed to realize something and kept talking. "That is why you came to Los Angeles? Because of a failed relationship?"

"Yep," said Jim, smiling sarcastically, "this is me post break-up." Spock seemed to realize something else.

"This man you were involved with, is he the one who sent you his writing for your input?"

"Uh-huh."

"Then he maintains contact with you outside of the workplace?"

"Constantly." Spock nodded.

"And this, while beneficial to his work is detrimental to you emotional well-being." Jim laughed sadly.

"Like I said, misery." Spock seemed to come to a decision. He stood up.

"I will make dinner for us both. Would you prefer to remain inside, or would you perhaps like to go outside and I build a fire?" Jim stared up at him in wonder. Then he laughed, this time happier, and stood up.

"Spock," he said, shaking his head, "you really are a great guy. You'd make a fantastic human being." Spock's eyes smiled at him, negating a severity in his words.

"I find that remark…insulting." Jim just laughed.

End Chapter 7

Whew! Jim really had a lot to say today. Yes, this was shorter than the other chapters have been so far barring that last one, but this seemed like a good place to let off. There was one thing I absolutely had to change from The Holiday, and that's the part where Iris says "You see how great your life is compared to mine?" That's a terrible thing to say to someone, even if it's true. Saying something like that will likely only make someone feel bad about sharing their own problems or mad at the fact that their problems are being made light of. It's also really not a good idea to tell someone you know how they feel. Even if you go through the exact same thing, that doesn't necessarily mean they feel exactly the same way about it. Okay, I'm done preaching.

That last line, in case you aren't that familiar with the original series, is from the TOS movie Undiscovered Country. I know I've made Spock a lot more sociable and forward in this story, but between the fact that in this AU he's spent a lot of time around humans in a much more casual setting and the fact that in most K/S stories he and Jim are kind of naturally drawn together and Jim seems to be the exception for a lot of Spock's Vulcan rules, I think it works out. If you don't like it, then you can try rewriting a Jack Black part for a Vulcan!

*I've read in a lot of fics that chocolate is supposed to get Vulcan's drunk, so I figured that Spock would consider it 'stronger' than tea. I really don't care for coffee drinks, so I looked online to find the name of one. Eiskaffee is a German drink that may or may not be served outside of Germany, so maybe you haven't heard of it, but in the future things like that probably aren't limited to certain countries anymore, and it sounds pretty good, even for coffee. See you later!


	8. Chapter 8

Okay, we can get back to telling both sides of the story. Enjoy!

Chapter 8

The next few days were a pleasant blur for Jim. They involved him, Spock, and Selek working on preparing for the big night. They listened to him rehearse his speech, worked on getting him in better shape, and even helped him get fitted for a special formal Vulcan outfit. Selek, though, seemed to be a bit tired lately, because he was always calling it a day early on and then leaving Jim and Spock alone together. Not that Jim minded. He was having fun getting to know his new friend and helping him keep his mind off his ex-girlfriend. Early one morning, Jim was at Spock's apartment, preparing some tea while Spock tweaked some stuff with his musical equipment. He had actually composed a song that would bolster Selek's confidence when it came time for him to walk onto the stage. Apparently before getting involved in music, he had studied a lot of the psychology behind it. That apparently included the way music seemed to draw emotions out of people. Jim sat down next to him and set down the two mugs of tea.

"This is a piece that I believe is very well suited to Selek's personality." Spock told him. He began a quick succession of notes. It was surprisingly cheerful, yet it was right. "I took some inspiration from the artist I was listening to when we first met." Jim grinned delightedly.

"It sounds like him!" Spock nodded rather than commenting on how it was illogical to think a piece of music could sound like someone. Instead, he said,

"I also composed something that sounds like you." Jim met his eyes, startled.

"You did?" Spock nodded, and the music began to change.

"Jim, this is the sound of you." Not breaking eye contact, he began a new song that was vibrant and passionate, strong and beautiful. Jim found himself speechless. All he could do was lower his gaze, suddenly feeling bashful. After a moment, Spock reverted back to Selek's theme, and Jim began to sing a few nonsense words with it, while Spock looked on in amusement.

Uhura's next few days were a little less pleasant. They consisted of feeding the neighborhood animals and considering just how she felt about Leonard McCoy. On the one hand, she thought she'd just met him. On the other hand, she'd learned a great deal about him in that little amount of time. Not to mention they'd slept together just hours after first meeting. He was, for the most part, a sexy, honest, dependable, and responsible man. But this wasn't her home. Could she really even consider leaving her home and career to be with a man she'd only met? Even if they'd made such a strong connection. And, it wasn't like he could up and move to Los Angeles, not with a daughter who'd already been uprooted once, and medical practice. A knock at the door pulled her out of her thoughts. She walked over to the door and opened it up. Standing there was none other than the object of her thoughts. He seemed to light up as he caught her eyes.

"Hey," he said, "sorry I didn't call or anything, but Joanna's at a sleepover, and I thought-!" He never got to finish his sentence, as Nyota seized the front of his shirt and dragged him inside.

Later on, in the guest bedroom (Nyota had told Leonard about Jim's complaint) they lay on the bed silent, until Leonard spoke.

"That was even better sober." Nyota giggled, then said,

"We're in big trouble, aren't we?" Leonard shifted over onto his side and looked at her.

"Do we have to be?" He asked. "People make long distance relationships work all the time. I bet you have to travel a lot for your job." She shook her head sadly.

"I've never had to travel for work." Leonard sighed.

"Look, I'm just gonna come out and say something. I'm in love with you." She stared at him, shocked. He continued on. "I know that we barely know each other, and that I of all people should know better after what happened with my ex. But it's true. I've shared more about myself with you in the weeks since we met than I ever did with her. At least more stuff that _matters_. And I'm pretty sure it's the same with you and the jackass who let you get away." She didn't say anything. She knew he was right about that. But she didn't want to think about that now. She just closed her eyes and snuggled up to him.

"Let's just sleep now, okay?" She heard his resigned sigh, and felt his arms wrap around her as she drifted off to sleep.

The next day found Jim and Spock at the very same restaurant that Jim had gone to with Selek, although this time they were seated at the bar. They were chatting about the final plans for the evening, when Spock reached for the pepper and accidently brushed Jim's hand. He seemed to freeze up like a deer caught in headlights.

"I apologize." He murmured, pulling his hand back slowly, like he thought Jim might startle. Jim just blinked, confused.

"It's fine, really." He wasn't sure where the sudden awkwardness had come from, but he decided to try to dispel it. "Selek asked me this morning to write some lyrics for his song, and-" Just then, Spock's personal communicator began beeping. He looked at the screen briefly, and answered it.

"Leila?" He just listened for a moment. Jim couldn't hear what she was saying to him, but he still knew, and his heart sank at the thought. Spock just said, "Very well," and ended the call. He then spoke without looking at Jim. "She says that she misses me, that she wants to see me and 'talk things over.'" Jim knew he was going to go.

"It's cool," he said, fighting to hide his disappointment, "go ahead." Spock hesitated.

"I may be late for Selek's honorary night." Jim shook his head.

"I'm sure it'll be fine, just go." Spock nodded and left the restaurant. Jim just sat there, hoping that whatever happened, it would be for the best.

On one end of the country was a woman wondering how the hell she'd gotten herself in so deep, and how she was risking hurting herself and probably the best guy she'd ever known. On the other end was a man worried about another man who'd quickly become his friend and might be making the same mistake he'd made so many times himself. No comfort was coming to either of them any time soon.

End Chapter 8

Okay, we're winding down to the last few chapters, and they'll probably all be kind of short. They'll also probably be mostly Jim's side of the story. In The Holiday, Amanda's story seems to be of more interest at the beginning, whereas Iris seems to be the focus near the end. I know the music line was corny, but I couldn't resist it. That was my very favorite scene in The Holiday. See you next time!


	9. Chapter 9

I almost didn't post. I was on the site and I saw that for some reason it was only showing six chapters for my story. But on my profile, it showed eight. However, when I clicked the most recent button, even though it took me to chapter six, the next button was still there. After I viewed the 'missing' chapters, it showed eight again. I was a little tempted to hold this chapter hostage in exchange for more reviews, but I'm in too good a mood for that. So I present chapter nine.

Chapter 9

Jim had just finished showering and was in his boxers, getting his rented tux out of its bag. He hadn't thought he'd need one, or he'd have brought his own. Though, he thought ruefully, this one was a lot nicer than his. His thoughts turned back to Spock again, and he wondered what Leila was saying to convince him to take her back. More importantly, he wondered if Spock was buying it. He knew how easy it was to fall for those same old lines, especially when you wanted them to be true. He was pulled out of his musings by the sound of his personal comm going off. He answered it without looking at the screen.

"Hello?"

"Jim!" It was Gary. Great, he thought, that's all I need.

"What is it Gary? I'm a little busy right now."

"Aw Jim, don't be like that." Gary's voice was cajoling. "I just called to make sure you got the package I sent you. It should have been there by now." Jim frowned, still a little suspicious.

"I haven't gotten any packages. What is it?"

"It's a surprise. Maybe you should check outside." Jim quickly pulled on a robe and headed downstairs to the front door. He opened it and almost fell over. It was Gary.

"Gary!" Jim was almost in shock. "What are you doing here?" Gary smiled in that charming way that had always gotten him what he wanted.

"I came to see you. I missed you." Jim shook his head. He'd left the address of his temporary residence at work and with Bones for the purpose of having things sent to him as necessary. It was how Gary had been able to send him that piece of his book. But he'd never expected Gary would use it to follow him here.

"What do mean, you missed me?" He asked, uncertainly. "I'll be back in a few days." Gary stepped forward, causing Jim to back up, giving him room to step into the house. He looked around at the living room.

"Nice place." He commented. He looked over Jim, taking in his attire, and smirked. "It's almost like you knew I was coming." Jim flushed and resisted the urge to pull the robe tighter around himself. He sighed. He knew nothing short of physical force was going to get Gary to leave him alone at this point. So he put on a neutral expression and said,

"Do you want something to drink?" Gary looked at him with a surprisingly serious expression on his face.

"Only if you'll join me."

Later on, after a couple glasses of wine, Jim was feeling a little less cautious. He and Gary were seated in the living room, pretty close together when Gary spoke again.

"Jim, I was an idiot." Jim looked at him, but didn't say anything. He continued. "I didn't realize how important you are to me. I want things to go back to how they were. I don't want to lose you, Jim." Gary was looking at him, seeming so open and sincere. Their eyes met and Gary started to lean forward. Jim couldn't believe this was happening, that he was here, in San Francisco, about to reconcile with Gary on the same couch where, just the other day, he'd bared his soul to Spock—and just like that he snapped out of whatever trance he'd been under as all those things he'd said and felt before came rushing back, and he pulled away from Gary. Gary looked startled.

"What's wrong, Jim?" Trying to cover up his sudden uncertainty, Jim asked,

"How'd Janice take the news?" Gary was silent, and Jim knew. "You haven't broken things off with her, have you?" Gary shifted a bit.

"Well, no, but-" Jim cut him off.

"And you weren't planning to, were you?" Gary didn't have a chance to reply as Jim stood up. "I can't believe I almost fell for it again!"

"Jim-"

"Shut up!" Shouted Jim. And he did. Jim had never actually raised his voice at Gary before. But this was the last straw, and he was finally angry enough to react accordingly. "You have never given me any of the respect I gave you, Gary! I know we started out casual, but when I said I wanted more than that, you figured all you had to do was smile and nod while you continued to do whatever the hell you wanted and you'd get away with it! Then you thought if you just put on the sad eyes that I'd take you back again, even though you're about to get married to some girl who probably lets you get away with all the same shit I used to! Well, that's not good enough anymore!" Jim took a couple of deep calming breaths and continued on. "I should have done this a long time ago. It's over. I'm done with you. Whatever excuse for a relationship we had is done and I'm over it. Now get the hell out of here before I literally kick your ass to the curb." During his speech, Gary had left the couch and kept moving as Jim backed him over to the door. He opened the door hastily and stepped outside.

"What's gotten into you?" He snapped as Jim started to shut the door. Jim appeared to consider it.

"It's taken me two years and a trip across the country but I've finally realized something. It's not me. It was never me, it's you. I deserve better. You're just not good enough for me." Before Gary could form any kind of reply, Jim slammed the door in his face. He almost felt like screaming to let loose the adrenaline rush he was feeling, but one look at the clock had him using it to rush back upstairs and change into his tux.

Twenty minutes later, he was rushing up Selek's driveway (why did everyone in San Francisco have such long driveways?) and knocking on his door. Selek opened the door, looking downright regal in his formal Vulcan attire. His eyes widened ever so slightly.

"Jim," he said warmly, "you look very handsome." Jim grinned, ducking his head. Why was it that compliments from this man made him feel so elated?

"So do you, if I may say."

"I have something for you." Jim watched as Spock walked back over to a table where a small box sat. He opened it and pulled out an exotic looking red flower attached to a pin. He brought it over to Jim, who looked stunned. "I apologize if this is too forward of me," he said, "but in my youth I observed this tradition was exercised during such occasions." He paused. "If it is too silly, or it does not go with your outfit, you do not have to wear it." Jim smiled and took the boutonniere from him.

"I like silly." He said as he pinned it to his jacket. "I could use a little more silly in my life." Selek's eyes glowed, as if Jim had done him some huge honor accepting the boutonniere.

"That would make a good line in vid." Jim grinned.

"All those old movies are getting to me!" He held out his arm. "Shall we?" Selek took his arm.

"Indeed."

They arrived at the lecture hall where Selek was expected. A valet approached them.

"They're ready for you, Mr. Selek." Selek made sure he had a good grip on Jim's arm and nodded to the men framing the doors. The doors were pulled open and they were met with the applause of an auditorium full of people. Selek actually looked stunned. So much for a few film students. He and Jim began to make their way down, and they saw Admirals Archer and Pike, and even Scotty in the audience. They reached the stage area, where another valet was waiting to take Selek up the stairs. Jim wished him a quick good luck before moving to take his seat a few rows in. Selek looked at the steps, and for a moment it seemed like he would accept the valet's offer. Then, a familiar tune played through the auditorium. Selek waved off the valet's offer and moved steadily up the stairs one at a time until he reached the top. He turned to where Jim was sitting and gave him one of those secret smiles. As he was taking his place at the podium, Spock came hurrying down the aisle, having finished his job with the music. He slipped into the space beside Jim.

"It would appear he was mistaken about the magnitude of his fame." Jim turned to him and smiled happily.

"You made it!" Spock's eyes were solemn for a moment.

"I apologize for my lateness. After listening to Leila's apology, I decided it was in neither mine nor her best interests for our relationship to continue and have called an end to it." Jim smiled sympathetically.

"For what it's worth, I think you did the right thing." Spock seemed relieved to hear that.

"I am glad you agree." They sat back and listened to Selek's descriptions of another time. After a few minutes, Spock turned back to Jim. "Jim?" He murmured. Jim made a noise of acknowledgment. "What are your plans for the New Year?" Jim slowly turned to face him.

"I'll be back in Iowa by then." He said regretfully. Spock nodded slowly, and then appeared to contemplate something.

"I have never been to Iowa. I have never traveled to any part of Earth outside of California."

"Really?" Asked Jim, wondering what Spock wanted to say. Spock looked him in the eye, his expression open and sincere, just like the way Gary had looked at him before. Only this time, he didn't doubt that sincerity. Keeping eye contact, Spock asked,

"If I come to Riverside, will you be my date for the New Year's Eve?" Jim stared at him a moment, then leaned forward and kissed him, chastely but firmly, on the lips. Spock responded to it. Jim pulled back and smiled, his eyes shining.

"I'd love that." They both sat back in their seats to listen to the remainder of the speech. Jim had a happy, kind of goofy smile on his face. Spock's eyes betrayed a subtle mix of relief and satisfaction. If either of them had looked back soon enough, they might have seen a similar look in the eyes of the Vulcan on the stage.

Life was good.

Nyota stood with Leonard in the kitchen of the Kirk house. It had been two days since their discussion, and it was time for her to leave to catch her shuttle. Leonard had insisted on coming over to help her pack and see her off. A true southern gentleman, she thought sadly. She pushed her sadness aside as best she could. They'd both promised not to make a big scene over her leaving. They had finished loading up the car. All that was left was goodbye.

"Okay," she said, facing him, "we said we wouldn't make this any harder. Let's just get it over with."

"Yeah." He said quietly. He wrapped his arms around her, and she closed her eyes. He pulled away reluctantly. "Have a safe trip." She just nodded and headed out the door. She got in the car and started it up. She pulled out of the driveway and onto the road, never looking back. She drove on almost blindly, not caring really caring enough to really pay attention. Then, about twenty minutes later, she felt a tickling sensation on her face. She wiped at her cheek, and her hand came away wet. As she realized what it was, it was as if a dam burst, and she was crying. Loudly, messily, and noisily. She realized that this was what she had been missing. When she kicked Sean out, all she'd felt was angry and cheated for all the time she'd wasted on him. Now, all she felt was anguish. And just like that, her mind was made up. Not caring at all that it was probably and illegal maneuver, she drove right across the wide strip of grass that separated the two lanes leading in and out of town and headed back. Half the time it took to leave and a very near miss with a deer later, she was back in front of the Kirk house. She got out of the car and ran up to the door. She nearly tripped over the steps, opened the door, and went inside.

"Leonard?" She called, almost frantic. She turned and went into the kitchen, where he was rising from a chair. She stopped a moment to take in his appearance. He looked flushed, and his eyes were shiny and bloodshot. Nyota was moved beyond words that this grumpy doctor had actually been crying over her. It also reinforced her conviction for what she was about to do. "I just realized, it's so stupid to want to travel all the way home between Christmas and New Year's." Leonard let out a shuddering breath that held just a hint of laughter in it. She turned serious then. "You told me you love me, so I think it's safe to say I have plans for that night." Leonard smiled, but then said,

"I have Joanna for New Year's Eve." Nyota just smiled again.

"That's perfect." He sighed again, but this time it was in relief. She closed the distance between them and hugged him. He wrapped his arms around her again. They would work this out somehow. They had to. Right now though, all they both wanted to do was cuddle.

Sorry about letting Jim's side dominate again the chapter again, but that's how it turned out. The next chapter will be the last. It will be pretty short, just the last part and an epilogue, as well as some notes.

Also, I wanted to add some info for those of us who are not so familiar with the old Star Trek; the possible source of the name 'Selek' which is used in many fics. After the cancelation of the series, a short lived Star Trek cartoon came out that had the same main cast as the live action series. In one episode, Spock had to go back in time to prevent his own death as a child. He stayed in the home of his parents and younger self posing as their distant cousin Selek. I'm pretty sure that's why it's a fairly common name in fics where he appears.


	10. Chapter 10

The site is doing the weird chapter thing again, but I'm going ahead and posting. Here is the last chapter. I hope you've enjoyed reading this as much as I've enjoyed writing it (most of the time). To all those who've complimented me on certain events in this story, I just want to remind you that this story follows the story of a movie already written by someone else. I've already written a couple more stories that follow an event that occurred in a TV episode. Rest assured, I do have my own ideas that I'm working on, but these other stories include but are not limited to Scrubs and The Nanny. I'm also working on a songfic. If you would be interested in reading something like that, then say so in a review. I'll probably post them anyway, but it would be nice to have some support. To the reviewer who took notice of the fact that I called Selek 'Spock,' that was an accident, very sorry about that. Also, thank you to the reader who reviewed my second TOS story. I was starting to think I had a dud on my hands. I almost removed it from the site! On with the story.

Chapter 10

Late on the night of New Year's Eve, little Joanna McCoy ran down the stairs of her house into the waiting arms of her Uncle Jim, who spun her around while she giggled excitedly.

"Come on," he told her, "let's go say hi to Spock!" He set her down just inside of the living room. She ran over to the couch where Spock was waiting. Spock immediately began telling her about a Vulcan game known as kal-toh, which to Jim sounded a bit like Jenga. Jim stopped at the doorway and just watched them for a moment. Spock seemed to sense Jim's eyes on him and turned to look at him, warmth evident in his eyes. Jim moved over to join them by the couch. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Nyota come in carrying a tray. She had been so surprised when Jim had returned with Spock in tow. Well, that served her right for not letting him know that she was staying. The plan had been to do what they had done before, to drive each other's cars to the shuttle port so that they could retrieve them and drive home. He and Spock had searched for his car for about an hour before he gave up and called a cab. Then, once he'd realized that his car had not been stolen, he'd had to call the port and apologize profusely for accusing them of letting his car be taken by a thief. All in all, it was not the homecoming he'd imagined. But then, he hadn't expected to return with an incredible new boyfriend, so he couldn't really complain. He was also pleased to know that Bones and Nyota were going to work on a real relationship, although finding that she had not vacated his house had thrown the sleeping arrangements into question. In the end, he had taken the couch while Spock had taken the guest room and Nyota stayed in his room. Though, watching her with Bones, he had a feeling that she wouldn't be staying at his house during any future visits. He was pulled out of his musings by a demand from Joanna. One of the few things that Bones and Spock had been able to agree on was their firm refusal to give in to Joanna's please and play Dance Dance Revolution. It had bothered Jim at first that Bones didn't seem to like Spock, but he knew that Bones could see how happy he was, and that he'd respect Jim's feelings. It didn't hurt that Spock was nothing like Gary. As he got up to dance against Nyota, who'd also fallen prey to Joanna's big brown eyes, he had a feeling that things might really work out for all of them.

Epilogue

Jim was right. Nyota and Bones had kept in contact, and eventually began visiting each other once or twice a month. After about a year, Bones moved himself and Joanna out to Los Angeles after Nyota agreed to marry him. They were currently discussing how long they were going to wait before having a baby. Joanna was putting pressure on them to give her a little sister. Jim had already moved there two months previously, after he and Spock had bonded. They still hadn't had an official ceremony yet, and Spock's parents were really putting pressure on them for it. He and Spock had also kept in touch, though since Spock did a lot of his work on a special keyboard and computer, he could spend a lot more time in Riverside with Jim. Also, before they bonded, they formed a mental link by accident when they melded for the first time. Also, once they were bonded Selek revealed that he was actually an alternate version of Spock, sent from a different future that would have happened if it hadn't been for the Romulan attack on the Kelvin. Spock had been startled, but grateful for his designs to bring them together. Jim pretended to be hurt and upset, but got over it and thanked him as well. Not long after moving to Los Angeles, Jim began using his writing talents to write their story in a book, changing their names and nothing else. Of course, he consulted with his husband and friends to keep their sides accurate. It quickly became a best seller, and eventually became a movie, which Nyota edited and Spock scored. After that, well what else, they all lived happily ever after.

The End.

I've never been that great at endings, so I hope this is passable. I tried to give all the major characters Star Trek some kind of role in this. I also added a few characters that are so far exclusive to the original series. As I mentioned before, I'm doing some stuff similar to this, but with TV episodes. And now, the cast of this fic and their Holiday counterparts.

James T. Kirk – Iris Simpkins

Nyota Uhura – Amanda Woods

Spock – Miles Dumont

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy – Graham Simpkins

Joanna McCoy – Sophie and Olivia Simpkins (two kids in the movie)

Selek/Spock Prime – Arthur Abbot

Gary Mitchell – Jasper Bloom

Sean Finnegan – Ethan Ebbers

Leila Kalomi – Maggie (no last name)

Jonathan Archer, Christopher Pike, and Montgomery Scott – Arthur Abbot's friends Norman and Ernie (there were only two)

Pavel Chekov and Hikaru Sulu – Amanda's employees, Bristol and Ben.


End file.
